Meanings
noun
- The psychophysical phenomenon that an intentional or willed movement is slower than an automatic or reactive one.
Synonyms: gunfighter's dilemma
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe psychophysical phenomenon that an intentional or willed movement is slower than an automatic or reactive one.
Similar
gunfighter's dilemma
Origin
Coined by Danish physicist Niels Bohr, who deduced that the person who draws second in a gunfight will win the shootout.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
gunslinger effect. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gunslinger%20effect
MLA
“gunslinger effect.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gunslinger%20effect. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gunslinger effect,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gunslinger%20effect.
Source: gunslinger effect on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.